Dame Margaret Hodge, a former chair of the influential public accounts committee, described as "shocking" the public spending watchdog's inability to determine Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor's income from subletting properties on the crown estate.
Hodge Raises Concerns Over Taxpayer Money
Speaking on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Hodge said she was "very concerned" that the National Audit Office (NAO) could not ascertain how much the former prince had earned from letting properties. She also noted that the NAO's report did not cover all crown estate properties, which she found worrying.
Hodge's comments came after the NAO revealed that Mountbatten-Windsor received private income from subletting three cottages on his Windsor Royal Lodge estate while paying only a "peppercorn rent" to the crown estate.
Call for Transparency in Modern Monarchy
The Labour peer, who chaired the public accounts committee from 2010 to 2015, emphasized the need for transparency and accountability. "We all want a royal family to be continued to be respected, valued, and treasured. I want a royal family, but in a modern era that does require proper transparency and accountability," she stated.
She added: "It's shocking that the National Audit Office was not able to establish how much money Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor secured from the properties he let."
Subsidies for Non-Working Royals Questioned
Hodge also raised concerns about other non-working royals, such as Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie and Prince Michael of Kent and his wife, who live on the estate without paying rent. "Now, is it appropriate for non-working royals to be subsidised by the taxpayer from a fund that belongs to the taxpayer?" she asked.
She stressed: "The crown estates is our money, it's taxpayers' money, it's not theirs, and whoever runs that has to always ensure the taxpayers' interest."
Details of Royal Property Arrangements
The NAO report also revealed that King Charles pays an "adjusted" rent from his private Duchy of Lancaster income, below open market value, for his disgraced brother's non-working royal daughters to live in royal palaces.
Additionally, the Prince and Princess of Wales's Forest Lodge home in Windsor underwent £400,000 repairs carried out by the crown estate before the couple moved in last year. William and Catherine took out a 20-year lease on the grade II-listed Georgian house, paying £307,200 rent a year, reviewed every five years, with no upfront premium.
Background of the Inquiry
The report, published on Friday, will form the basis of the Commons public accounts committee's inquiry into royal properties. This follows a public outcry in October when it emerged that Mountbatten-Windsor was paying a peppercorn rent on Royal Lodge, from which he was eventually evicted by the king.
Responses from the Crown Estate and Buckingham Palace
A spokesperson for the crown estate said: "The crown estate welcomes the National Audit Office's review, which confirms its leases with members of the royal family were agreed in line with independent, professional advice and open market valuations. We look forward to discussing the report further with the public accounts committee in due course."
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson added: "We are grateful to the National Audit Office for this report, which is in line with the royal household's commitment to transparency. We hope that the findings will help correct, clarify or contextualise a number of points regarding royal properties."
"As the report notes, arrangements for properties managed by the royal household vary based on a number of factors to ensure residences are filled appropriately, depending on their location, tenants and purpose," the spokesperson concluded.
